Latest news with #GroundPenetratingRadar
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Building Pune: PMRDA to redevelop roads damaged due to metro rail construction from Maan to Shivajinagar
Facing criticism for damage to roads caused by the ongoing construction of the 25-km elevated Pune metro corridor from Maan village to Shivajinagar, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has decided to undertake a Rs 628 crore infrastructure project to redevelop the affected roads. The phase under construction runs through Maan, Hinjewadi, Baner, and Ganeshkhind. 'The roads on which the metro rail work is going on from Maan to Shivajinagar have been damaged. The citizens have been complaining about it. This was discussed at the joint meeting of PMRDA and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). Thereafter, repair work was planned,' said a PMRDA officer. It is estimated that the work will take five years to complete and will involve redevelopment of four lanes on either side of the 25km-long metro corridor, besides construction of parking lanes, bus bays, footpaths, cycle tracks, traffic rotaries, and islands, among others. 'A consultant is being appointed for the purpose and is supposed to come up with a detailed survey, providing for design of pavement, structures, and various components of road, preparation of detailed estimates, detailed drawings, and planning for utility shifting…' he further said. Annirudha Pawaskar, Chief Engineer, PMC, said, 'There was a discussion on redeveloping the roads on which the elevated metro from Maan-Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar is being constructed. The roads were damaged, so it was decided to develop them as ideal roads with standard norms. However, the decision on who would redevelop was not taken as the metro route passes through areas of various government jurisdictions, including MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation), PMRDA, and PMC.' 'Later, we thought that since the redevelopment of roads would be as per fixed standard norms, then it should be done by one agency, PMRDA, or otherwise separate government organisations would undertake it separately for the road in their respective areas. This would not help achieve the objective of redeveloping roads with the same norms,' he added. The PMRDA said the consultant will have to carry out a detailed survey of the existing right-of-way, existing carriageway, and pavement conditions. A route alignment survey also needs to be carried out, taking into consideration the land acquisition required. 'It should map out subsurface utilities up to a depth of 6 metres while differentiating between subsurface utilities such as live electric cables, metallic utilities, and other utilities using Ground Penetrating Radar,' it said, adding that the traffic count survey should be carried out with the next 10 years in mind. NCP(SP) MP Supriya Sule had criticised Pune authorities following the recent flooding in Hinjewadi owing to the drainage system getting blocked by debris from the metro construction. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanavis had also directed the PMRDA to undertake road repair work on a war footing. Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, Pune. He writes on Infrastructure, Politics, Civic issues, Sustainable Development and related stuff. He is a trekker and a sports enthusiast. Ajay has written research articles on the Conservancy staff that created a nationwide impact in framing policy to improve the condition of workers handling waste. Ajay has been consistently writing on politics and infrastructure. He brought to light the lack of basic infrastructure of school and hospital in the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde even as two private helipads were developed by the leader who mostly commutes from Mumbai to Satara in helicopter. Ajay has been reporting on sustainable development initiatives that protects the environment while ensuring infrastructure development. ... Read More
Time of India
6 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
2,000-year-old Buddhist site found in Haryana
AI image KANPUR: In a remarkable scientific breakthrough that may rewrite regional history, a team from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has discovered signs of ancient Buddhist stupas and structural remains buried beneath the soil in Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana. Using advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology, researchers detected circular structures, old walls, and chamber-like rooms at a depth of around 6 to 7 feet, pointing to the possibility of a 2,000-year-old Buddhist site. The survey, commissioned by the Haryana State Department of Archaeology, was part of a broader investigation to locate potential historical structures across several sites, including Topra Kalan and other villages known for scattered old bricks on the surface. The IIT Kanpur team's work offers compelling evidence of buried heritage that may date back to the Buddhist period or even to the Mahabharata era, according to local tradition. Professor Javed Malik of IIT Kanpur's Civil Engineering Department said, "When we surveyed the mound's exterior, we picked up strong geo-radar reflections indicating a semi-circular structure beneath. Officials from the archaeological department confirmed the presence of what they believed was a stupa nearby. We felt confident that we were indeed detecting a buried stupa."
Hindustan Times
12-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
PMC to use GPR for underground utility mapping to prevent damage and improve planning
To minimise damage to underground utilities and prevent disruptions during infrastructure and construction projects, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has launched a new initiative to map the city's underground service networks using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology. The goal is to ensure better planning and coordination before any roadwork, metro construction, or public utility projects are undertaken. (HT) This initiative aims to create a detailed underground utility map, marking the precise locations of water pipelines, drainage lines, electrical cables, gas lines, and other essential service lines. The goal is to ensure better planning and coordination before any roadwork, metro construction, or public utility projects are undertaken. 'Pune's roads are not only congested on the surface but also beneath it. Multiple utilities—ranging from water and drainage to telecom and power cables—are competing for space underground, making maintenance and new installations extremely challenging,' said Ganesh Sonune, head of PMC's disaster management department. He added, 'We are using GPR technology to map the underground utilities throughout the city. This will help us identify and relocate existing lines before starting major infrastructure projects. On Tuesday, we signed an agreement with MAHAPREIT (Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology Limited), a government-supported company, to carry out this work. The project is part of the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) and is funded by the central government.' The PMC has set aside ₹600 crore for upcoming disaster management works, with the underground utility mapping project being a key part of this plan. Officials pointed out that GPR surveys are especially critical in planning metro lines and stations. The technology allows engineers to design around key underground utilities, like sewers and high-voltage cables, or prepare plans to relocate them ahead of construction. 'These georadar systems, supported by advanced positioning and software tools, provide fast, accurate, and non-destructive mapping, which is essential in densely populated urban areas,' explained Sonune. Currently, PMC manages over 2,200 km of road networks across Pune. However, more than 100 km of these roads are dug up each year by 14 external utility agencies—including mobile operators, CCTV networks, and the state electricity board—alongside PMC's four internal departments responsible for water supply, drainage, stormwater lines, and street lighting. 'While we do recover restoration costs from utility agencies, the road surface rarely returns to its original condition. Delays in reinstatement and poor coordination among agencies often cause public inconvenience,' said a senior official from the PMC Road Department. Sonune stressed that the underground mapping initiative will help reduce the need for repeated digging, improve coordination between departments, and enhance the overall quality of civic infrastructure. Sahebrao Dandge, superintendent engineer of the Road Department, added that the new mapping system will significantly improve the city's infrastructure planning and minimise disruptions to daily life caused by uncoordinated utility work.
Hindustan Times
06-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Delhi: PWD to conduct structural audit of IIT, Modi Mill and RTR flyovers
The Public Works Department (PWD) has floated a ₹72.2 lakh tender for structural and hydrological audits along four key south Delhi flyovers, officials said on Saturday. They are: the IIT Flyover at the Africa Avenue intersection, the old RTR Flyover, two spans of the Modi Mill Flyover on the Outer Ring Road, and the culvert over Barapullah Nallah on Lala Lajpat Rai Marg. IIT Flyover on the Ring Road. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO) The tender also seeks hydrological and structural consultancy to widen and develop a 300-metre road stretch near the New Ashok Nagar metro station by constructing three new culverts. The tenders are expected to open on July 24, and the consultancy award will follow shortly thereafter. With 540 days to complete the audit and associated consultancy, actual repair work is expected to begin by early 2026. 'Most of the flyovers along the Ring Road and Outer Ring Road are at least 15 years old and are showing signs of aging. Some have developed surface cracks and others need the expansion joints to be replaced. A comprehensive structural audit is required for this. We will need to gradually do this exercise for most of the flyovers that have not been repaired in recent years,' said a PWD official. Urgent problems fixed in May PWD in May conducted a basic audit of all 100 flyovers in Delhi and found that the Modi Mill flyover needs patchwork, plastering and painting along with an improvement of the central verge. The audit found that the old RTR flyover's crash barriers were missing and greenery of the central verge was not maintained. These problems were fixed immediately, officials said. 'After that audit we decided to do a comprehensive repair work on these flyovers after more scientific audits. So the work is being started now,' a second official said. The structural audit involves a battery of high-end non-destructive and semi-destructive tests on the flyovers. These include rebound hammer and ultrasonic pulse velocity tests for concrete strength, carbonation depth measurements, core extraction, resistivity and pH analysis, load test and advanced 3D reinforcement scanning using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). Officials said that the consultant will also have to prepare construction drawings for a fresh baseline assessment and identify areas that require urgent retrofitting or strengthening. The consultant will then prepare a detailed estimate, draw up tender documents for rehabilitation, inspect execution, and issue a safety certificate post-completion. 'This four-stage approach will ensure that all structural vulnerabilities are identified and addressed comprehensively,' the official added. Road along New Ashok Nagar metro station The site, located between Holiday Inn Crossing and the Metro station, requires careful hydrological planning due to proximity to major stormwater drains and heavy footfall, officials added. The culverts will be designed to improve both vehicular and pedestrian movement and will include footpaths, road markings, and crash barriers. The consultant will be tasked with soil investigation, structural design, preparing good-for-construction drawings and ensuring coordination with multiple agencies. Officials said that the work from audit to completing repairs will be completed in a year-and-a-half. HT recently conducted a spot check of the Outer Ring Road stretch with a traffic engineering expert, S Velmurugan, chief scientist and head of traffic engineering division of Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), and found that at the Modi Mill Flyover, there was no auxiliary lane for acceleration and deceleration, no speed table for at grade crossing, leading to accidents, inadequate signage and road marking and bus stop right after exiting the loop on one side. These were some of the reasons for persistent traffic at the point. Similarly, at IIT flyover, it was found that gore area treatment was not done, anti-glare treatment at median was required and the signage and markings were inadequate. 'Overall most of these flyovers need gore area treatment near entry/exit of flyovers and loops, properly designed signages, reassurance signages, road markings with two component two plastic paint and improving the geometrics of the loops/ramps and interchanges. Flyovers with restricted medians width need anti-glare treatment in the absence of plantation,' Velmurugan said.
United News of India
02-07-2025
- Business
- United News of India
ITI Ltd bags orders worth Rs 88 cr
Bengaluru, July 2 (UNI) ITI Limited, India's first PSU established after Independence and a pioneer in telecom manufacturing, has secured multiple contracts worth approximately Rs 88 crore across Odisha and Chhattisgarh to bolster digital infrastructure and e-governance initiatives. In Odisha, the Cuttack Development Authority has awarded ITI Limited two significant contracts. The first, valued at Rs 54 crore, involves the procurement and installation of CCTV surveillance systems and traffic signal setups at various locations in Cuttack. This includes supply of cameras, software with analytics and ANPR systems, and maintenance for five years. The second contract, worth Rs 23.05 crore, is for implementing a Land Intelligence Management System through GIS-based applications. This includes mapping of properties using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) in the Bidanasi Development Project Area and CDA Plan Area. In Chhattisgarh, ITI Limited has won a contract worth Rs 11.72 crore from the Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society (CHiPS) for implementation and upgradation of WLAN/LAN infrastructure at the Mantralaya and HoD Bhawan in Nava Raipur. Commenting on the development, ITI Limited Chairman and Managing Director Rajesh Rai said, "We are very glad to bag these new contracts from the Governments of Odisha and Chhattisgarh. These projects will help strengthen digital infrastructure and support efficient citizen services." He added, "Our team is excited and motivated to deliver ahead of schedule. We believe our work will significantly aid the state governments in delivering best-in-class e-governance." ITI Limited is also executing several other projects, including the Aaple Sarkar Seva Kendra (ASSK) initiative in Maharashtra and a campus-wide Wi-Fi and LAN deployment for Sambalpur University in Odisha. UNI BDN GNK 1604
